Assuming you didn't want to go with Dark Heresy/Rogue Trader/Deathwatch, what system would you use to model the 40k universe?

GURPS, Traveller and RIFTS could all do it, what else?

Here's the criteria...
-classless
-levelless
-doesn't have to be gearhead, but should be higher then the tabletop level of granularity for weapons/armor, handling daggers to plasma cannons
-has some magic/psion system.

Wondering if there's any perfect game I'm forgetting.

Quote from: CRKrueger;408493Assuming you didn't want to go with Dark Heresy/Rogue Trader/Deathwatch, what system would you use to model the 40k universe?

GURPS, Traveller and RIFTS could all do it, what else?

Here's the criteria...
-classless
-levelless
-doesn't have to be gearhead, but should be higher then the tabletop level of granularity for weapons/armor, handling daggers to plasma cannons
-has some magic/psion system.

Wondering if there's any perfect game I'm forgetting.

Barbarians of the Aftermath uses 'Professions' as skills, but they're not really classes, so I'll throw that in the pot. I think the author is planning on releasing a free 'Future Heresy' setting that seems to be a send up of...well...you know.

If I were making it up from scratch I'd go with BRP... fast, deadly, gritty, versatile. I'd keep the sanity rules from CoC, turn on some of the powers... maybe even the 'fate' point option. Rename some of the weapons from Ringworld, Futureworld, Cthulhu Rising, etc... use the mutation rules and demon summoning rules from Stormbringer/Corum.

Sixcess would do it beautifully.

I might use Shadowrun 2nd or 3rd, in a pinch.

BRP or Unknown Armies would be ideal.

I actually saw a pastiche of 40k in AFMBE for Unisystem.  Like any of the various systems it needs fleshing out to be a complete 'product', but unlike many the system is simple and robust enough to handle it quickly.

Not my first choice necessarily however.

GURPS, of course, is near ideal. Pre-existing Psychic rules, Ultratech provides powered armor and rules for most (if not all) 40k style weapons (which, really: You mostly just need a believable statline and a block of flavor text...), and everything else is mostly modeled by having enough points to buy the various advantages.   Space Marines buy lots of strength and health, levels of hard to kill (or, if you REALLY want to get stupid wit' it, just point out every geneseed modification they actually have individually and construct it as a package deal..), inquisitors have law enforcement powers, patrons (the Ordos), and lots and lots of status.

Its also a hell of a lot of work and might be just a bit too un-cinematic for 40k.  40k is hellaciously cinematic (though, yes, very grimdark about it. But its anti-cinematic if your unstoppable killer fungus ork deathmachine goes down in a single second of autofire lazgun shots. Uncinematic means fragile BADGUYS too...)

Fading Suns!!!

Admittedly it's not just a system, it's a game too, that's so close to 40k it's already basically a 40k RPG.

I think EABA could handle 40K if you use the personality disorder rules to simulate being corrupted by chaos.

Savage World Necropolis book is very 40k-ish.

Also Mutant Chronicles and Waste World , if you can find them, share some of 40k aspects.

Finally D6 setting Septimus I think has some 40k aspects too (well any sci-fi game that put The Corruption and The Great Heresy in its setting is going to make you think og 40k at least a little).  And its free.

Fading Suns doesn't count, for many of the same reasons GURPS doesn't count: Fading Suns can do any form of Sci Fi without significant alteration of the base. Star Wars? Its in there. Dune? Its in there. 40k? Its in there.

Thanks for all the input.  BRP never struck me as a "plasma cannon capable" system, but Cthulhu Rising's making me reconsider.  I'll have to check out Septimus and EABA those are definitely two I hadn't considered.

Starblazer Adventures can do it in a pinch, and fulfills most of your criteria; however, the relative lack of granularity (particularly in regards to tech) might disappoint you.

I mean, a Superb (+5) particle beam cannon is little different from a Superb (+5) nuclear missile, especially if both have the "Dirty Radioactive Weapon" Aspect.

Waste World - abso-friggin-lutely.   It was also written by Bill King (who writes for GW) and its clearly his homage to a 40k RPG.  

It's an easy point-buy and you can easily put together all the 40k bits via the system and most of the 40k gear is there with serial numbers filed off.

BUT if you want to use 40k figs on the table and emulate the fiction of big ass battles with all sorts of crazy and the PCs as the big heroes of that universe....I would totally go Savage Worlds.

Ah... but can he FIND Wasteworld?

Eons ago I sold mine for beer money and I've regretted it ever since.

Third vote for Savage Worlds.  It fits all of your criteria and lets you use a lot of minis that will die real fast.

The only thing on your list somewhat "iffy" is robust armor armor.  I've yet to see a Savage Worlds supplement tackle an extensive armor list and make them all a lot different from each other.  I wonder if one of the other guys have.

Quote from: winkingbishop;409027Third vote for Savage Worlds.  It fits all of your criteria and lets you use a lot of minis that will die real fast.

The only thing on your list somewhat "iffy" is robust armor armor.  I've yet to see a Savage Worlds supplement tackle an extensive armor list and make them all a lot different from each other.  I wonder if one of the other guys have.

Yeah, that's a problem with Savage Worlds, BoL, etc all the rules light games tend to also be gear-light as there's not much granularity to them, nature of the beast.

As for Waste World, Noble Knight Games comes through again, will check it out and see.